


Slivers of you

by Plaqueminier



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff and Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, POV Alternating
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:41:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22922758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plaqueminier/pseuds/Plaqueminier
Summary: Claude always goes to the same cafe to work, and he can't help noticing a tall blond man that comes everyday at the same time. Moreover, the feeling seems to be mutual.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 36
Kudos: 132





	1. Hot Chocolate

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! English isn't my mother tongue and this is my first fic ever, but I hope you will enjoy it nonetheless <3  
> Also rating may change at some point.

Claude liked to go to that cafe to work. Most of his work could be done at home, but he liked working there. It was a small cafe called Seiros, not far from his place, calm and relaxing. Plus, their coffee was delicious. The two cashiers (twins?) were a little taciturn, but he didn't mind, really. 

What caught his eye was that tall blond guy he saw sometimes, always coming to get a hot chocolate around lunch time (his break he guessed?). Claude wasn't at Seiros everyday and not necessarily at noon, so it took him some time to realize the blond was coming almost everyday, always at the same hour. And he ordered a hot chocolate each time. 

Why did he remember the hot chocolate? Mostly because of the contrast with his appearance. He would have never guessed that such a big man, with an eye patch to make things worse, his unkempt blond hair either hanging on his face or loosely tied up, always wearing a large sweater, would like hot chocolate so much. And with a lot of cream topping at that. Really, cute was the only word he could think of. 

Anyway, that tall blond always seemed to distract Claude from his work. Oh he was distractingly handsome. So how bad an idea would it be to strategically come everyday at lunch time, just to see him? Not a good one, really, as it was the busiest hours and didn't help him make any progress in his work. But he was soon rewarded. 

He didn't have to wait long until the man started sitting at a table instead of taking his order away, as he always did. He wasn't sitting for long, and didn't do anything except drinking his hot chocolate. He would sit a bit far away, but never his back on Claude. And Claude didn't miss how the man glanced his way from time to time. Maybe glared? He couldn’t tell, actually. He winked back once, and the man almost spilled his drink. He wasn’t sure if it was because of his charm or if the man was just very awkward to begin with. But when, after a week, it was clear it wasn't rare occurrences but an actual change of the blond’s everyday lunch break routine, Claude decided it was a sign telling him to take the opportunity. And so he did.

It was crowded, and only a few seats were free. The perfect excuse. He went to the blond’s table with his best smile placated on his face. 

"May I?" The tall guy looked at him, surprised, closing alertness. He flushed, then suddenly looked away when he realized his expression might be giving him away. 

"Yes of course," he started moving his things on the table and on his chair as if to make some space, even though he only had a mug and Claude was sitting on another chair. How cute. Claude sat down and sighed dramatically. 

"Thank you. I usually come here to work but it's a little hard when it's crowded like this." Will the target take the bait? If he really was interested in Claude, as all the hints were suggesting, he will. The blond, though still a little flushed, looked back at him with a relieved smile. 

"Oh, what do you do?" He seemed interested in starting a conversation, and seemingly relieved he wasn’t the one who needed to start it. It was a win. Claude's easy smile turned into a grin. 

"I'm a translator. I translate history books, mostly. And you?" 

The blond seemed like he wanted to say something but changed his mind, instead going for "Oh, I'm a PE teacher, in high school." 

PE teacher huh? Is that why he looked so buff under his large sweater? He probably wanted to ask more about Claude, as he opened his mouth to say something, but Claude gave the minimum information about himself before changing the flow of the conversation so he couldn't be asked more questions. And he genuinely wanted to know more about this handsome stranger. 

"I see you coming quite often, do you like the hot chocolate here so much?" He pointed at his drink. The last part was half chuckled, but the blond answered in all seriousness nonetheless.

"Um, not exactly.” He seemed a little uncomfortable. Then, after thinking for a few seconds “It's close to my work place and. The cream is a lot more… puffy, here." The last words were said under a blush. He really said "puffy", Claude rewinded in his mind. He was reaching some amazing peaks of cuteness and the contrast with his scary big body was stirring Claude's curiosity up way too much for his own good. 

They talked like that until the end of the blond’s break. From there on, they often sat at the same table even when there were free seats in the shop. During their chats, he learned his name was Dimitri, and that they were the same age. Funny coincidence. He also learned that despite his appearance, Dimitri’s speech was very formal, and while he flushed very easily, he could talk a lot about things he liked. 

“I hope I’m not disrupting you from your work.” he said one day, in that very sheepish yet hopeful way of his. It always made Claude want to comfort him, and he smiled warmly. 

“Nah, don’t worry. I have the whole day to work yet, and I enjoy our conversations a lot.” He winked, getting the cute reaction he wanted from Dimitri. Haha, teasing him never seemed to get old. 

Dimitri looked genuinely relieved. Claude found that part of Dimitri very endearing. Not only that part, actually. How he worried about bothering Claude, or how he would squeeze his legs under the table so that he wouldn’t take too much space. How on the first time he took the initiative to seat together with Claude, he looked so endearingly embarrassed. Just the thought of it made Claude smile softly. 

He was so pleasantly surprised by Dimitri. Claude always knew he would be an interesting person, but really, he wasn’t disappointed. He was even surprised to have become so attached to those few moments they shared together during lunch. Claude was waiting for them and always felt a tinge of sadness when Dimitri’s break was over. He still remembered fondly how, on one day they arrived at the same time, Dimitri _held the door_ for him and let him enter first. He felt like a princess. Claude also didn’t miss how Dimitri’s clothing suddenly upgraded. Though it wasn’t high fashion, it was definitely better than a sweater over a tracksuit. And it was definitely bringing his good looks out. Why was he hiding such a nice body under large clothes again? Oh yeah, his job. Then, was he changing just for his lunch break? For Claude? 

But what he was the most surprised about was the bubbling feelings in his own chest, very familiar yet so foreign. So warm yet so scary. What started as mere curiosity was turning into more than he expected. 

They had been meeting like that for three weeks when he finally brought his new interest up to Hilda. The two of them were best friends since university, even if they only had one elective class shared together, art history. Since then, they were meeting now and then to catch up and watch movies together. Claude tended to be secretive about his love life, but he felt like saying it out loud to Hilda will help him put words on what he felt. About his interest for Dimitri, and about how far he's willing to let this continue. And Hilda would probably kill him if she found out from someone else. 

They were coming back from the cinema, and just finished criticizing (bashing would be more accurate) the movie they had just watched. 

"An interesting person, huh. That's already a lot coming from you." Her smile turned mischievous. "And who's the lucky person?"

"Just someone I met at a coffee shop I often go to." 

Hilda didn't miss how his face softened as he thought of Dimitri. She raised an eyebrow. "Don’t tell me you’re _more_ than interested?" 

Well, that was the whole problem. Claude liked this ambiguous friendly-flirty situation he was in with Dimitri. It was still in his comfort zone, and he wasn't sure he would be willing to go out of it. Not that he was scared of rejection. Claude wasn't that oblivious. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say Dimitri was an open book. But Hilda knew better. Seeing his hesitation, she gasped dramatically. 

"Don't tell me you're ready to _open up_ to him? After knowing him for _only_ two months?" Ouch. She had a way to call him out in the best, yet worse ways possible. 

"Ha. Ha. Very funny. Technically, we only started talking a few weeks ago." 

"No but for real, you can't start anything if you keep trying to look mysterious like that _._ I'm sure he's already thinking you're a spy or something." 

Claude faked being offended. 

"He knows my name, my age, my profession, and even the neighborhood I live in!" 

"Does he have your number, at least? Does he even know your last name? Please tell me you exchanged numbers." 

They didn't actually. He felt exchanging numbers was the last remaining gear to set the love machine into motion. Because that is where it was going. Did he want that? It's not like he's never been in a relationship, but he never was truly in love (or at least not how some others were), and they all ended the same way. His partners always felt they weren't trusted enough, loved enough, that their relationship wasn't fair, or something like that. And he wasn’t even sad about it.

So did he want to spend more time with Dimitri, know him better, explore all his other cute sides, and see more of that soft little laugh he always hid behind his hand? Yes. Was he willing to let his guard down a little for that? Maybe. Maybe he wouldn’t have to actually open up, he thought. Maybe Dimitri wasn’t actually interested in something serious and stable to begin with (he doubted that but anyway). Maybe he could let this harmless flirt continue. He enjoyed that tiny tingle he felt in his heart when Dimitri was talking about things he liked, that little sparkle litting in his eye, so expressive despite being the only one left. The warmth he felt when the few times he talked about himself, Dimitri would look at him in awe. How each time Claude discovered a new detail on his face, he would find him even more attractive. He could let that go on. He could indulge in that. 

He went to Seiros with a renewed resolve. Taking the next step. However, the next time he saw Dimitri, the latter seemed to be fidgeting on his seat, weirdly uncomfortable. So Claude didn’t take the next step just yet, not pressuring Dimitri when he already seemed like he was on the brink of squeezing his drink out. But damn he was curious. Hopefully he would discover what the problem was without being too invasive. Finally, after some small talk, Dimitri spoke. Maybe a little louder than he was trying to. 

“Say… I happen to have two tickets for. An exhibition. Would you happen to be free this week-end…?”

Oh. He expected a lot of things, but not being outrun by Dimitri. Claude was so surprised he froze mid-smile. What made him snap out of it was Dimitri’s frame tensing with every milliseconds of silence passing (was that his muscles' shape starting to form on his shirt?). It was almost hilarious to look at but also heartbreaking to see he was readying himself to be rejected. 

“Of course, what kind of exhibition?”

Dimitri’s relief was almost palpable. And the smile that came with it was radiant. He should have brought his sunglasses. 

“It’s an art exhibition. I… I wasn’t sure of what you liked but” He couldn’t seem to finish his sentence and looked at Claude with puppy eyes, expecting his approval. 

“Perfect, I love art!” Ah, Dimitri made that expression again. He really loved seeing it on his face. He was surprised to find himself thinking he wouldn’t mind taking any step to see it again. And so he did.

“We should probably exchange our numbers” He took his phone out “Here”. Could Dimitri get any cuter? Yes he could. After letting a little “Ah!” of realization, he took his phone out as well and barely restrained his smile. He was smiling, technically, but if he stopped tensing his mouth so much, it would probably extend to his ears. Or so Claude thought, a little amused at the idea. Really, he would never be bored of Dimitri’s reactions. How could he be so expressive in the mere span of five minutes?

They exchanged phone numbers, decided on a place and a time for the meeting, and parted ways. Was that a date? Yes, definitely. Claude may not be sure about committing himself, but he could easily recognize interest in people’s eyes (or “eye”, in this case). And also, in his own heart. So for the time being, he indulged himself in the excitement over his upcoming date. 

That night, Claude dreamed of teddy bears drinking hot chocolate on whipped cream clouds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter -> Dimitri’s POV!


	2. A strand of hair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dimitri and Claude are finally going on their first date.

Maybe this was all a dream. Maybe he will go to the meeting point and there will be no one. Maybe he will wake up and realize Claude never sat at his table in the first place. Those were the thoughts occupying Dimitri’s mind as he was waiting for Claude, thirty minutes early. 

Really, that day felt like a dream. Seiros was recommended to him by Sylvain, a good friend of his. He couldn’t taste anything since long ago, so he never really cared about the quality of his drinks, but Seiros’ hot chocolate smelled really nice. So nostalgic. So sweet. And that cream topping was very pleasant on the palate. So he set to going there during his lunch break. It wasn’t long until he noticed Claude. How could he miss him? He wasn’t doing anything, really, he was just working on his computer, slowly sipping his coffee. Maybe Dimitri was staring too much because one day their eyes met, and Claude winked at him. He wanted to melt into the ground and fly to the moon at the same time. So he started staying there instead of taking his drink away, just so he could enjoy this strange tingling of his heart a little more. What a surprise it was when Claude sat together with him. 

And that was it. Everything went so smoothly from then on. Maybe that’s why it felt so much like a miracle. He wasn’t awfully extroverted, and only felt comfortable with a handful of very close friends. And even with them, he never could truly relax, confide his deepest secrets. Not that he would confide in a man he barely knew for a few weeks. But Claude was an oddly reassuring presence. Soothing maybe. His easy smile, sometimes teasing, the way his eyes would soften sometimes, at things Dimitri thought were the most embarrassing moments of his life. He found himself thinking he would go through them again if it was to see that soft gaze on Claude’s face one more time. 

Claude was always listening to him, even when he was getting a little too excited, rambling about the right way to stretch muscles or how his students were cute little monsters. And he would listen to it all, seeming even interested. Strangely enough, Dimitri was feeling as if Claude knew way more about him than he knew about Claude. It wasn’t like Claude was quiet during their discussions. His laugh was probably the prettiest sound he ever heard, and his little chuckle was like a ray of sunshine. But Claude never seemed to talk about himself, not more than a few anecdotes here and there. It was mostly small talks or reactions to what Dimitri was saying. It wasn’t as if he didn’t try asking about him. Not too forwardly, of course, but Claude always seemed to smartly avoid the topic, reorienting it elsewhere. So he didn’t push his luck. 

But in a way, you could say he did. What made him so bold as to _ask him out_? It was mostly due to his friends, really. His dear friends. He met with Sylvain right before his great feat of bravery, and his childhood friend wasn't indifferent to Dimitri's worsen state of airhead-ness. 

"You look even more out of it than usual. Hey, don't tell me you're finally in love?" he was probably only teasing Dimitri because he wasn't expecting his friend to freeze and turn beetroot red. Sylvain's eyes widened and he leaned on the table separating them. 

"You're kidding right?! Who, when, how?" 

Part of Dimitri wanted to punch him hard enough he would forget the last five minutes, but another part of him wanted to ask for advice. Even though Sylvain's tended to be a bit questionable at times. 

"No one you know, and it's not like that. We just, talk, sometimes." Sylvain was patiently waiting as Dimitri was looking for the right words. "I'm not sure how it happened but. It… feels nice." 

"For how long has it been going?" 

"...Three weeks."

Sylvain suddenly looked very offended. "It's been three weeks and you've only _talked_ ? And you're only telling me this _now_? We met at least five times during the past three weeks??" 

"Well, I wasn't sure this was… I'm still not sure of what this is." Dimitri looked down at his hands on the table. He still couldn't name the feelings he had for Claude. Surely ‘love’ wasn't so simple. Or was it? Sylvain paused a moment, before asking.

"Okay, tell me then. What color are his eyes?" 

Dimitri seemed surprised at the question, but answered before long. "They're… green like emeralds. Sometimes you can see a tinge of khaki." 

"And mine?" 

"... Brown." 

Sylvain looked triumphant. "There, you have it. I hereby diagnose you with a crush." 

A crush. The mere sound of it made him feel butterflies in his stomach. His face was probably red because he felt it burn. A crush it was, indeed. Putting it into words was as scary as it was delighting. As if everything suddenly turned pink. It didn't, of course. But at least, in this instant, he felt like it did. 

"So… What should I do now?" 

"Ask him on a date." 

"But isn't that too early?" 

"Dimitri. You've been _talking_ for three weeks. Even your students make a move faster." 

Dimitri pouted at that. He probably wasn't wrong about the last part. But would Claude accept his invitation? Claude seemingly enjoyed Dimitri's company to some degree, if not he wouldn't put up with him almost everyday for three weeks. But this was a big step. It meant taking their relationship out of the little coffee shop. Out of the one and only thing that connects them. And that's what was scary. It was such a fragile connection, it could end in the blink of an eye. Claude could politely turn him away, and never come to the shop again. Then it would truly be over. 

However, another part of him, smaller but stronger, thought of Claude accepting. Of Dimitri seeing more of Claude, more of is expressions, learning things he liked, things he didn't like. To see more of that dazzling smile. 

It seemed Sylvain followed Dimitri's train of thought because he continued. "Okay then, text him to ask if he's free this weekend."

Dimitri paused. "I don't have his number." 

"You _what?!_ _Three weeks,_ Dimitri-" 

\---

And that was how it came to this. Dimitri waiting for Claude, for a _date_ (this is what it was, right?). Claude agreeing to it still felt like a miracle. But Dimitri didn't question the miracle, fearing it might disappear if he did. Scared of hoping too much. Hope could be a scary thing. 

Dimitri's thoughts were cut off by Claude arriving fifteen minutes early. Dimitri's heart wasn't ready yet, losing fifteen minutes of a very much needed mental preparation. Claude stopped before him, and looked at the blond from head to foot. He put a hand on his hip, raised a brow and grinned.

“Hey, handsome!”

Dimitri didn’t know how to answer to that. He had indeed put a little more effort in his clothing for the occasion, wearing tighter, slightly more elegant clothes, and having styled his hair up. He was afraid it might be too much, but still glad it had the desired effect. Part of him wanted to return the compliment, in that Claude was unmistakably handsome. He had always been, never looking unkempt, his hair combed back and an earring shining on one side. But today he looked even more handsome than usual. There wasn’t any big change in his outfit, as he was always very well dressed, but he was also slightly more elegant than usual. _All for me,_ Dimitri thought wishfully. 

But another part of him wasn’t confident enough yet to do so. Thus, he settled with a flustered “H-hey, you came early.”

“Haha, I should be the one saying that.”

Now he felt stupid. He wasn’t good at small talk to begin with, but he found it even harder to speak normally in front of Claude, now that they were outside of the cafe. Thankfully Claude didn’t tease him about that, and his mischievous grin turned fonder. 

“Just hope you didn’t wait for too long. Anyway, let’s go!”

And so they did. After waiting in a short line, they entered the museum. Dimitri wasn't sure about Claude's interests. The whole date idea was a lucky guess. He knew Claude liked history, so he guessed he might like museums. Hence art. He himself wasn’t particularly into art, but he remembered going to museums a lot with his parents, long long ago. So he wasn’t completely unknowledgeable in the matter. 

But Claude’s taste? An absolute black hole. Thus, he chose an exhibition displaying art from all around the world: “Art of the world”. They wandered around the sections, separated by continents. Both were silently admiring the works, but it wasn’t as awkward as he thought it would have been. Actually, it was weirdly soothing. They were walking at a slow pace, and Claude was thoroughly taking in each piece. He seemed interested, to Dimitri’s relief. Dimitri himself wasn’t really paying attention to the exhibition. He couldn’t look away from Claude. That’s why he noticed his habit of putting a falling strand of hair behind his ear, sometimes forgetting to lower his hand and keeping it afloat. Dimitri was mesmerized by the gesture. He wanted to do it for him. And after reaching his ear, continue further to stroke his hair. To feel it. To dishevel it. 

Dimitri stopped his train of thought before it went too far. He felt he was soiling Claude for letting his thoughts go wild like that. Having finally reconnected with reality, he noticed Claude had stopped his slow wandering, staring at the painting in front of him. Not in front actually. He looked like he had stopped in his motion, suddenly caught by the painting on his side. He stayed there for a whole minute, before doing the same thing with the one beside. Did he like it that much? Dimitri looked at the painting as well. It was so much more colorful and full of details than what they’d seen in the first two sections. He wouldn’t be surprised if Claude liked explosions of colors. Before saying anything, Dimitri checked the section they were in. According to the little map he took at the reception, they were in the Almyran part of the exhibition. 

“It’s really pretty, isn’t it?”

Claude turned to him wide-eyed, as if he had forgotten there was someone next to him. It took him less than a second to be back to his usual easy smile. 

“Not bad,” he said lightly, before resuming his march, a lot faster than the pace they had until then. Dimitri’s heart actually skipped a beat when he saw Claude’s surprised expression, probably mirroring it. It may be the first time he saw such a raw look on Claude’s face, and he found himself thinking it may suit him even better than his easy smiles. Yet, Dimitri felt like he scared a kitten. Claude looked so confident. Did he mess up? Claude didn’t even spare a glance at the rest of the section, and it wasn’t until they arrived at the Brigid one that he slowed his pace down. 

Claude didn’t seem to be upset, at least. He actually seemed to be back to his usual self. But it was too late, Dimitri’s train of thoughts were already going in the worst direction. He probably messed up, and Claude was just being polite. This whole thing was a bad idea in the first place. He wasn’t made for dates. Or for love. How could someone even love him? Especially someone like Claude? Dimitri wasn’t such an interesting person, wasn’t good at socializing, and he couldn’t even compensate with his looks. Really, he wasn’t a pretty sight, missing an eye and full of scars hidden under his clothes. No one would want to date him. No one would love him. No one would-

Dimitri was pulled out of his guilt trip by the feeling of Claude’s elbow brushing against his. Was it an accident? The museum wasn’t empty, but it wasn’t crowded enough to stick this close. Then it happened again. And again. He may have had jumped if not for Claude’s subtleness, how he started from small brushes that could almost be mistaken for unintentional. Dimitri’s concerns suddenly felt so little, so far away. He couldn’t take his mind away from where their arms were touching, longer and longer each time, long enough to feel the other’s warmth. 

Dimitri leaned back into the touch, longing for it each time it went away. They weren’t looking at each other, nor were they talking. Claude swept his concerns away so easily he couldn’t believe it. Suddenly everything felt so simple. In that moment, the warmth they shared was all that mattered in his world. However, all things have an end. 

The warmth on his arm disappeared for good, replaced by the cold of loneliness. They had finished visiting all the sections and reached the exit. Dimitri felt like he was under a spell the whole time they were walking through the exhibition, and all of a sudden that spell was broken, he was coming back to reality from his daze. He wished it continued forever. He probably seemed lost in thought for Claude lightly tugged at his arm.

“Wanna go to the souvenir shop?”

“Do you like going to museum shops?” It was surprising. Claude didn’t seem like he would care about postal cards or key straps. Actually, Claude didn’t seem like he cared about anything, which was probably not the case. Dimitri knew he himself was an open book, but he’d never met someone as hard to read as Claude. Maybe Sylvain, but with them being childhood friends, he had a lot more time to work in that direction. 

As they entered the shop, Claude looked up and grinned. 

“Maybe I just want to spend more time with you.” 

Oh. Dimitri felt his face burn (did he react out loud?). He never knew if Claude was teasing him or being serious, but his boldness always had the same effect. He wished he had some of it, just so he could tell Claude how beautiful he was. Just so he could put that strand of hair that always fell behind his ear. 

Suddenly, he felt Claude leaning on his side. This time, they had a reason to stick to each other as the shop wasn’t that big and quite crowded. Dimitri never liked crowds, but on that day he did. By the goddess, this time it wasn’t only the arm. Their sides were fully pressed together, and when they turned to look at the goods, Dimitri almost spooned Claude. He could smell his hair from where he was. It took him all of his self-control not to bury his nose in it. Instead he lowered his gaze to the visible portion of his neck, bare in front of him. Very bad idea, as it was even worse than the hair. He wanted to bend down, just enough to-

Claude moved away to take a look at something else and it felt as much of a relief as it did a loss. But it let his mind clear enough to actually study the merchandise. There were many types of goods, from books to mugs, with the pictures of the paintings and sculptures on it. Maybe he should buy something for Dedue, he thought. After looking thoroughly, he decided on a collection of the Duscurian art displayed at the exhibition. The man scarcely talked about Duscur but he knew that deep down he missed it. He hoped Dedue would like the present. As he bought it, he realized he lost sight of Claude. Was he already out of the shop? Dimitri went to the exit and saw the other man waiting there. 

“Sorry, I lost you. Did you find anything you like?” 

Claude chuckled “Haha, I’m surprised you could lose sight of anything with that height of yours. And I never buy those stuff. Too expensive, you know?” He paused and looked away, "Though, I kinda like having reminders of places I've been around.” 

Dimitri tried to say something, but Claude was faster “But I see _you_ did!” he pointed at his plastic bag adorning the museum’s logo "Something caught your eye?" 

"Ah yes. I bought a present for a good friend of mine." 

Claude hummed in acknowledgement, as if there was more on his mind than he let out, before changing the subject. “Anyway! I really enjoyed it, thank you for inviting me.” 

“Oh, um. I enjoyed it as well. I’m glad you liked it too.” 

They walked towards the exit of the building, and then to the train station. Then they would have to go their own way. Thankfully, they had just been to an exhibition, and so Dimitri didn't have to think very hard for a topic of conversation. 

"Which part did you like best?" 

Claude seemed to think for a moment, putting his hand on his chin and humming. "I really liked Duscur. The paintings were mostly scenes of everyday life, but that's what gave it so much more life than the others. I would love to go there one day." 

Oh, he'd thought Claude would have liked Almyran paintings the most, seeing how he stopped in front of it. Nonetheless, Dimitri was glad he liked Duscirian art. 

"I have a very close friend who is from Duscur, he would love to hear that." The mere thought of it brought a warm smile to Dimitri's lips. "And… I've been to Duscur. It's a poor country, since the… tragedy was not so long ago. But it's been rebuilding. And it's as you said, so very full of life, and kindness." He raised the bag with Dedue's present to show it to Claude. "This is actually for him, a collection of the Duscurian art. I hope he'll like it."

Was he rambling again? He looked at Claude to see his reaction. Dimitri was expecting either an expression of polite boredom, or his usual warm smile forming on his face when Dimitri was talking a bit too passionately, so he was surprised to see Claude looking at him straight in the eye, as if he was drinking each and every one of his words, like he was gauging them. Then his usual smile was back and he hummed again. 

"I see. Don't worry, I'm sure he will. How about you, which one did you prefer?" 

Frankly speaking, Dimitri didn't pay much attention to the exhibition. He did, of course, but not enough to pick a favorite. Although he liked seeing Claude so engrossed in those Almyran paintings, and remembered thinking they were so much like Claude himself. 

"I liked Almyra the best. It was colorful" _like you_ he thought in the back of his mind, "with complicated patterns yet there was a thought behind each of them," _like you_ "pretty on the outside yet deeper inside," _like you_.

There it was again, that look as if he was measuring Dimitri's each and every word. He felt oddly vulnerable under that gaze, yet it reminded him of the rawness of Claude's surprised face. He felt as if this was truer than any expression he had seen yet. And he found himself thinking he wanted to see more. It made him realize that his easy smile was hiding so much more. The web of feelings Claude was hiding behind each smile that Dimitri still couldn't read. But in that instant, the smile was down, and he could see a glimpse. 

Before long his lips curled back up, though weaker, and he was looking ahead instead of Dimitri. 

"You have funny taste," he looked down "but, I kinda liked it as well." 

Dimitri's heart sank when he saw the subway entrance. That's where they had to part, as Dimitri was taking the bus. It was over wasn’t it? The spell was truly gone now, and would be gone forever. He had to do something. So he went for his best shot. 

“See you at Seiros?” Why did it sound like a question, he wondered. But Claude answered nonetheless with a toothy smile. 

“See you at Seiros.” He waved at Dimitri and off he was. Or not, because he suddenly turned back as if he just remembered something. 

“Oh and next time, I’ll be the one asking you out on a date!” Then he went away for good. 

A date. _A date_ . So Dimitri wasn’t the only one thinking it was _a date_ . Claude did too. He probably stood where he was for five whole minutes before finally heading home. He was in a daze the whole way back, remembering his day. _His date_. He was almost scared of sleeping, supposing that he could. Scared of waking up and finding out it was all a dream. So he mulled over the visit, the lingering ghost of a warmth on his arm, the smell of Claude’s hair… How he saw faint glimpses of Claude’s true self. How he wanted to see it again. And he could, because Claude said “next time”. There will be a next time. 

He couldn’t begin to conceive where this was going. He was in a completely unknown land. But the memory of the sweet heat he felt the whole day was enough to drive his fears away. Or at least make him strong enough to fight them. He wanted to feel it again, longer, more intense. He wanted to see Claude again.

That night, he dreamt of soft curly brown hair flowing through his fingers. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *pinning intensifies*


	3. The rhythm of your heart

Okay. Claude had a great time, and Dimitri was  _ oh so _ pure. When he got closer to him in the museum, pressing their arms together, he had expected Dimitri to either panic and jump (which would have been undeniably funny to see) or slide an arm around his waist like anyone would do. But Dimitri wasn’t anyone. He simply leaned back, making the touch  _ oh so _ chaste. Claude felt like a teenager again. Or maybe a grandpa, he wasn't sure. 

Either way, his date was great. He was hit by some unwanted nostalgia but he could live with that. Dimitri's look whenever he teased him was totally worth it. Claude didn't know how far he wanted things to go, but he knew he didn't want whatever was happening between them to stop. Dimitri was fun to be with, surprisingly open-minded, and for some reason he felt safe around him. Maybe it was because of all the muscles he was hiding under his clothes. And damn, that height. How warm would it be if Dimitri were to spoon him! Dimitri wore tighter clothes than usual that day, and what a pleasure for the eye it was! He had always found Dimitri handsome but this only confirmed it. He reminded him of a big teddy bear, tall and intimidating on the outside, yet so  _ so _ sweet on the inside. And that wild look with an eyepatch on top of it only added to the sexyness of the contrast. 

Now now. He actually had work to do. He unfolded his computer, opened his usual working tabs and arranged books around him, opening some of them on the needed page. Most of them were Almyran/Fodlanese dictionaries and encyclopedias. And the biggest one, the book haunting his nightmares and working hours for the past month, "Exemplary Biographies of Almyran Great Men". 

\---

They continued meeting at Seiros as usual. Well, almost usual. Since the date, Dimitri’s gaze on Claude had been different. Until then, Dimitri was looking at him with a mix of embarrassment and awe, kind of reminding him of a puppy. Now his gaze was more insistent, sharper, closer to one of a hungry wolf than a puppy. He was still easy to embarrass, needless to say, but even then, he would glance at Claude with an eager eye under his blush. And Claude would stare back, feeling a strange reassurance in seeing his reflection in Dimitri’s eye. He couldn’t look away, as if he was addicted to it. He felt wanted with an ardor no one ever showed him before, and he felt attracted to it. He felt attracted to  _ Dimitri _ . 

Now there was no denying it. He was definitely into him, and so the next date could be a little spicier. Not that he didn’t like the museum, he really liked their first date. But he said the next date would be on him, and he knew exactly where he wanted to bring the blond man. It even involved some teasing, because that was never getting old with Dimitri. Claude thought it was time for a little push. So he put his plan into action. 

“So, I still owe you a date,” the look on Dimitri’s face whenever he said the word date was a delight. “Would you be free on Friday?” 

“I am. Where would we be going?”

“It’s a secret.” Dimitri looked wary. “Nothing too fancy, be casual and,” Claude looked at Dimitri with an amused smile “don’t eat too much before.” Dimitri looked even more confused. This was too funny. 

“Why?”

"It wouldn't be a secret anymore if I told you,” he winked with his flirtiest grin. Dimitri’s eyes slightly widened.

“Oh. I see,” he pondered for a little while, then looked back at Claude, smiling in a way Claude couldn’t read. “I’ll be into your care then. Surprise me.” 

_ Surprise me _ he said. Dimitri was the one full of surprises, Claude thought. From the hot chocolate to this undecipherable look in his eye. He had so many different layers, Claude could explore them forever and still find new ones. They weren’t like Claude’s, meant to hide and protect, using a wall of fakeness. They were all part of Dimitri, of his identity. Everything about him was so genuine, so honest. So much it hurt. But Claude would never let it show like Dimitri. So he kept on smiling. 

“I will. Let’s meet in front of Saint Cichol statue at… Let’s say seven.”

And so the second gear was on. Or maybe it was the third one? He had already lost count.

\--- 

Last time, Claude had shown up after Dimitri, even though he tried arriving early. So this time he came twenty minutes early. He had no reason to, really, but his competitive spirit awakened for the weirdest things. However, Dimitri was ahead of him again. Claude sighed, a little amused. 

"Have you been waiting here since yesterday?" 

Dimitri blushed "Ah, no, I've just arrived." The way he always answered to Claude's jokes seriously was way too cute. It should be illegal. 

"It's okay, we will have more time to talk before… well, the surprise." 

Dimitri let out a chuckle, half hiding it behind his hand, "You're really bent on keeping it secret, huh." 

"I am." 

And so Claude led the way to their destination. It was about ten minutes by foot from the statue of Saint Cichol. He couldn't believe how excited he was to see Dimitri's reactions to his little scheme. He was already humming in anticipation. 

When they finally arrived, Dimitri stared at the sign on top of the entrance door. 

"Is this… a bar?" he sounded full of apprehension. 

Claude put on a smug face, "Close."

The sign displayed two words: 'Ethereal Moon'. They entered the bar, and it was obvious they were early seeing people were only starting to fill the place, and the barmen were still preparing for the night. The bar was quite big, but most of the space wasn't used for tables. There were some high round tables here and there, but it was mostly empty space. Claude took a sit in front of the counter. 

"We have a little time before it starts, let's get something to snack until then." 

Dimitri sat next to him, and they ordered melted cheese with bread bits to dip in, going under the fancy name of "cheese fondue", as well as two drinks. Dimitri ordered a soft drink, to which Claude reacted. 

"You don't drink alcohol?" Claude couldn't hide his curiosity.

"I… don't like feeling drunk. I feel like I'm not in control and it makes me…" he looked down "Uncomfortable." 

Claude stared at him, thoughtful, and then he straightened his back, and looked at the barman as if he just took a big decision.

"Then I'll stick to soft drinks as well tonight!" 

Dimitri jolted in his seat. "Oh, don't feel you can't drink because I don't! I… wouldn't want to ruin the mood." he looked down again. How could he be so nice? Too much for his own good Claude thought. He felt his whole face soften as he reassured Dimitri. 

"Don't worry, I can have plenty of fun without drinking. Plus, that's not the surprise." 

Dimitri's eye met his again, worried, then after a few seconds of thinking, he seemed to relax again. "Okay. But I'm starting to get really curious about your so-called surprise." 

"Don't get your hopes too high though, you might be disappointed." 

"You could never disappoint me." 

Wow, Claude didn't expect that one. Dimitri was usually so shy, but sometimes he would just go beyond Claude's expectations. The funniest part was that it was totally spontaneous and genuine, as Dimitri flushed bright red at the realisation of what he’d just said.

"Dimitri!" Claude faked being shocked to hide his actual surprise "I didn't know you were such a flirt!" He felt Dimitri was ready to disintegrate and go up in smoke, but as it was physically impossible, he only stuck his legs tight together. Claude was ready to finally rescue him when Dimitri blurted.

“It’s- it’s because it’s true.” And then dug in the food that just arrived, without meeting Claude’s eyes. Damn. He wanted to laugh cheekily but all he managed was a moronic smile he couldn’t even control. He suddenly felt very cheesy. Surely it was due to Dimitri being so,  _ oh so _ honest in everything he did. It made him want to burn Dimitri’s every action into his eyes, drink all of his words. Melt in all that sincerity directed at him. He wanted to keep looking at his reflection in Dimitri’s earnest eyes. But to do that, he needed Dimitri to look up from his food. Also, he wasn’t going to let Dimitri get all the flirting. 

“Thank you. You’re quite a surprise yourself, you know?”

There it goes, Dimitri’s big eye looking at him in surprise. “Am I?”

“Such a handsome big strong guy, yet so sweet and so kind, you’re like a knight in shining armor. I’m surprised no one has ever made a move yet.”

Was it too much? Dimitri seemed to have frozen in place. He opened his mouth after a few seconds, then closed it again, before finally saying, “I’ve never really been interested until… now.”

People have already flirted with Claude, one could say he was used to it. But most of the time it was empty flirts, small talk you do for the sake of it, that’s how the game works. But Dimitri wasn’t actually flirting. Or he was a really good actor, which Claude highly doubted. He was stating his true feelings. Claude was at a loss for words, he who was proud of his social skills, of his way with words (for goodness’ sake, its was his profession), yet here he was not knowing what to say.

Of course, he was quick to get back on his feet.

“Then would it be more accurate to say you’re the princess on top of her tower and I’m the prince charming coming to the rescue?” Claude got down from his seat, offering a hand to Dimitri, “May I have the honor of this dance?”

Music was playing for some time now but Dimitri just seemed to notice, as he suddenly looked around him. People were slowly going to the empty space, that he now guessed was a dance floor. He looked back at Claude, completely alarmed. 

“No, no no no no.”

Dimitri seemed to panic, but not in a bad way so Claude pushed a bit.

“Now now, don’t worry, no need for anything complicated.”

“I don’t know how to dance.”

“Probably no one here does.”

“I’m going to be ridiculous.” 

Claude winked, “I’ll come to the rescue if you are.”

Dimitri hesitated for a little while, seemingly weighing up the pros and cons, before finally taking Claude’s hanging hand. Claude slowly led him to the dance floor, before turning to face Dimitri and take his other hand. The whole purpose of his scheme wasn’t to humiliate him on the dance floor, no, he just wanted an excuse to spice things up a little. 

It wasn’t the first song, but the night was still young so there weren’t many people yet. However, the only ones already dancing were the most eager dancers, and thus it was already quite animated. The music was an exotic mildly quick song. Claude, who now had Dimitri’s both hands in his, started moving his feet and hands back and forth. Dimitri was a little stiff and determined not to look up from his feet, but he was trying to follow Claude’s lead the best he could. It was a too dark to be sure but Claude knew Dimitri was blushing from the growing warmth in his hands. When Dimitri finally relaxed a bit, Claude rose one of his hand along with Dimitri’s to spin under it, before moving away from Dimitri by stretching his arm, and then came close to Dimitri again, back to their initial position. Dimitri’s eye widened as he probably wasn’t expecting Claude’s move. 

“Wanna try it?” Claude was getting cheeky, but how could he resist?

“Um,” he looked down at their joined hands, “yes?”. So Claude pulled at one of is hands, letting the other go, before making Dimitri spin the best he could. The other man was taller than him so the maneuver was slow and a bit awkward, but Dimitri managed to make a full turn. When he faced Claude again, he was smiling in a way that brightened the whole dance floor. Sunglasses, Claude remembered. Dimitri smiled as if all of his pressure suddenly left his body, as if he was finally ready to enjoy the moment. Of course, Dimitri didn’t suddenly become a pro dancer, but he let himself be moved around by Claude and tried mimicking his dance moves. They didn’t let go of each other’s hands and so Dimitri never had to dance alone. It seemed to make him feel at ease, and Claude took pride in that. He kept staring at Dimitri’s more and more relaxed face, his growing smile and his hair falling from his tie as they were dancing. 

They probably danced like that for a good thirty minutes, or maybe an hour, Claude wasn’t sure anymore, before the music stopped, and the DJ announced the next song, resulting in almost all the customers running to the dance floor. It was one of those dances with easy and repetitive moves everyone knew. Claude finally released Dimitri’s hand, feeling a sudden cold where their skin touched for so long. Dimitri wasn't used to those things but surely he knew this one, right? As Claude was taking position, he looked at Dimitri’s confused gaze. He seemed lost in this sudden ruckus. Of course he didn’t know. 

“Okay Dimitri, follow my lead.” Dimitri mimicked Claude’s stance. “Now lift your arms,” Claude started the dance, slower than the rest of the crowd so Dimitri could follow him. They were easy moves, really. So after showing him once, they both got in line and started dancing along the music. Dimitri seemed hesitant at first, but grew more and more confident in his moves as seconds passed. Whenever Claude was glancing towards him he saw a big grin like a child playing tag. 

When the song finally ended, both were breathless. Well, Claude way more than Dimitri. He  _ was _ a PE teacher after all. Dimitri suddenly looked very excited, ready to do a thousand more dances like that. Claude couldn’t help thinking, for the billionth time in the same day, that Dimitri looked awfully adorable. He was like a cat in game mode. Thankfully the DJ let everyone catch their breath by taking his time choosing the next song. 

“Seems to me you can dance just fine?” 

“I wouldn’t call that dancing,”  _ ah, he did it again _ , Claude thought as Dimitri chuckled behind the back of his hand, “but I’m having fun.”

Claude opened his mouth to say something but was cut off as the next song finally started. Both turned to wherever the music was coming from before looking back at each other. It was a slow. Well now, Dimitri’s cat mode hadn’t completely faded but he seemed a little unsure about whether he should do something or not. So cute. Claude got closer to Dimitri, and took his hands again. 

“Here,” he led Dimitri’s hands to his waist, and lifted his to Dimitri’s shoulders “and here.”

Dimitri kept quiet as they started swinging along the music, their chests drawing closer with every beat. As Claude had expected, Dimitri’s cheeks were beet red, even in the dark blue lighting of the dance floor. Yet, Dimitri seemed way more confident that Claude thought he would be for such an intimate dance. Not that Dimitri seemed used to dancing or anything, but his hands on Claude’s waist weren’t fidgeting, and his gaze on him didn't falter. Claude couldn’t look away from his blue eye, alone yet stronger than any gaze he’s ever seen. And it was directed to  _ him _ . All that intensity, that fondness, that desire, all for Claude. He found himself drowning in that ocean gaze.

But there was more to it. No one had ever looked at him like that. Was it the way he looked at him with burning desire? No, that wasn’t new. Claude was scared of reading too much into it, to give what was into Dimitri’s gaze a name. Not now. Maybe Dimitri felt something was going through Claude’s mind, because his hands on his waist pulled him a little closer, joining his hands together behind the small of Claude’s back, chests now barely touching. 

Claude was smaller, and his head was facing the crook of Dimitri’s neck. He could feel the heat radiating from all of Dimitri. He could feel Dimitri breathing on his hair and ear. Claude found himself thinking he wanted the song to continue forever, so he could stay in the warmth of Dimitri’s arms, so he could continue feeling Dimitri’s rapid heartbeat contrasting with the slow rhythm of the music. Or maybe it was his? He wasn’t sure anymore. He couldn’t even blame it on the alcohol. He felt so safe, more than ever in his life. Like nothing could reach him as long as he was in this man’s arms. 

But of course, everything had an end, and the melody finally ceased. Both of them stood there, unmoving in the silence following the music. Even as the others started separating from their partners, either going to sit back down or preparing for the next song, they didn’t move. Neither of them seemed to want to. But they had to, and so Claude slowly moved away and smiled at Dimitri. 

“Should we go back to sit?” His smile was probably weaker than he tried to make it. Dimitri seemed to be in a daze as it took him a few seconds to answer.

“Yeah.”

He couldn’t blame him, Claude himself was in such a daze. Just from one dance. They went back to their seats on the counter with a tinge of regret. His mind was still on their last dance, and Dimitri also seemed out of it. Whenever their eyes met, he could see the same look as during the slow, and it made Claude want to drown into it as much as to look away. He internally laughed at himself for feeling like such a teenage girl on her first date. They stayed silent for a while, basking in whatever was happening between them. 

“Hey,” Claude was the one who broke the silence, “I always wondered, what happened to your eye?”

The question took Dimitri by surprise, leading him to slowly look down, thoughtful. 

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Claude reassured him, letting his cheek rest on his hand. Maybe it wasn’t the right mood for that kind of question, but really, it never was. Claude had always been curious about it, but he didn’t want to make Dimitri uneasy. Now, however, they were sharing something. Now, he felt was the right moment. 

“No, it’s okay,” Dimitri seemed to have made up his mind, perhaps thinking likewise, yet never looking the man next to him in the eyes. 

“I…” Claude was patiently waiting for Dimitri to find the right words, his soft gaze glittering with curiosity about the man in front of him. 

“I lost it in a car crash,” Dimitri finally said. “I was still in high school when it happened. And…” 

This time, words weren’t what Dimitri was trying to find. It looked like he was trying to muster his courage, wondering if he should continue or not. Claude wasn’t smiling anymore, trying his best to support Dimitri with his sole gaze, even though Dimitri wasn’t meeting it. He hoped Dimitri could confide in him. He hoped it would help him get rid of the sad look on his face. He slowly reached for Dimitri’s wrist on the counter with his free hand, finally getting the man to look at him, and revealed a small genuine encouraging smile. Dimitri’s shoulder slacked before he let out a heavy sigh.

“I lost my parents that day. They said it was a terrorist attack by a Duscurian, but… I don’t think so.”

Claude’s grip on Dimitri’s wrist tightened. “I’m sorry. Thank you for telling me,” he said. Dimitri answered with a weak smile, still affected by his freshly digged up memories. 

Silence surrounded them again, even quieter now that the music was dying down. 

Then, Dimitri suddenly took back his hand from Claude’s, taking his jacket and starting to search something in it. His hand stilled in one of its inside pockets. 

"I… I have something for you." He looked so sheepish and unsure that Claude wondered if he might be readying himself to propose. After one date. Jokes aside, knowing Dimitri, it was probably his way of giving any present. Claude let out an "Oh?" of approval, looking at Dimitri's hand slipping out of the pocket, holding out a long and thin envelope. When Claude took it, he recognized the logo of the museum they'd previously been to. He slowly opened it, trying not to damage whatever was inside, and took out its contents. There were three bookmarks ornamented with Almyran patterns like the ones in the exhibition. Claude stayed still, as his brain couldn't catch up with the events. How could Dimitri know? No, he probably didn't. Did he slip up somewhere? No, he had always been careful during their conversations.

"How…?" Claude let it out without being able to fully articulate his question. 

"I know you said you liked Duscur the most, but…" Dimitri looked uneasy, fiddling with his hair "you looked at the Almyran art with fondness so I thought you might like it. And you said you liked having a reminder of places you’ve been, so…" 

Did his wistfulness show on his face? As the panic died down, it got replaced by an immense feeling of tenderness upon realizing how much Dimitri had been mindful of him. He had seen through the tiny cracks of Claude's walls and was dangerously trying to reach for his heart. And what scared him the most wasn't Dimitri trying to break down his walls, but himself, wishing for Dimitri to do so. For him to look at Claude with his loving eye, and not at his facade. For Dimitri to notice his every moves and changes. For him to hear the quick pounding of his heart. Dimitri just opened his own heart to him. Maybe he could too. 

Claude noticed he took way too long to react as Dimitri's frame was already tensing in a familiar way. He looked at his gift, then back to the man in front of him with a fond look, finally able to speak. 

"Thank you Dimitri, really. I love it." He wanted to sound more playful but only warmth was coming out of his voice. 

"I thought you might need it, since you read a lot of books." Dimitri smiled back, relieved. 

"Really, thank you." He looked down at the bookmarks with familiar ornaments on it, then tucked them back in the envelope he carefully put in his own inside pocket. Without changing his expression, he turned to Dimitri. 

"Did you go back to the museum just to buy this?" 

Dimitri looked apologetic, "Yes." 

"You know, you're too kind for your own good." 

"So I've been told by all my friends." Dimitri laughed weakly.  _ Oh _ Claude couldn't let that opening go. He grinned.

"Never by your lovers?" It worked wonders as Dimitri blushed and started fidgeting to find his words. 

"I've… never been in a…" he couldn't seem to finish his sentence. Claude expected as much, even though he wondered how could people miss out such a handsome and kind man.

"Well, they don't know what they're missing! If it were me, I would say it everyday." Claude was half teasing, half serious, and maybe that's why the effect was even stronger. Really, Dimitri was so cute. 

But it was getting late. The music stopped, and people were leaving. When Claude looked at his watch, he was teared by two feelings: spending more time with Dimitri and the need for some fresh air and sleep. Dimitri noticed the gesture, because his eye suddenly turned into a puppy’s. 

“It’s getting, late, I think we should go,” He couldn’t help a trace of sadness in his tone.

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Dimitri sounded as sad to break the magic of the night. 

They payed, and walked back to the statue where they met earlier. After staying quiet for some time, the blond man broke the silence. 

“Thank you for inviting me. It was really… nice.”

“I’m glad you liked it. We should do it again sometime.”

Dimitri’s face brightened at that. “Yeah, definitely. I’m probably going to make a fool of myself again but…”

“Don’t worry, you were actually a better dancer than I had expected. Maybe you’re just a natural.” Dimitri obviously looked out of place in a dance bar, but he  _ was _ a better dancer than Claude had thought he would be, and he was a natural flirt. 

“Haha stop teasing me, I was doing my best to follow your lead.” Dimitri’s smile soon faded when he noticed they had reach the statue. Claude used this moment of distraction to quickly peck him on the cheek. 

“No I’m not.” Dimitri looked back at Claude’s cheeky smile with absolute shock in his eye, and could see all the shades of red coloring the blond’s face. Claude continued.

“Well then, have a good night, princess.”

And so he went off on his way, leaving Dimitri in a frozen state. He could still hear the shared beating of their heart as the cold wind of the night brushed his ear. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was this 👌 close to using God Shattering Star as a fire emblem version of Macarena.


	4. Tender lip

The date was on Friday, and so the next two days Dimitri didn’t go to the cafe. He stayed at home, mulling over their evening. Their dance. Just thinking about it was enough to make heat rise up to his face and his heart pound. 

Dimitri was new to this. Claude wasn’t his first crush, technically. But he was the first since the accident. Since he lost his eye, along with his peaceful nights and the last of his social skills. Thus, “lost” wasn’t enough to describe his current state. Were they dating? Not yet? Was that how things were normally going? Part of him wanted to ask for advice, because he clearly needed some. But another part wanted to keep these memories of Claude to himself. He didn’t want to share these moments they had together with anyone. But the problem was still there: he didn’t know how to act the next time he will see Claude, because he had absolutely no idea what to call their relationship. However, it wasn’t like he could go and straight out ask Claude “hey, are we dating yet?”. 

And so, there he was, on his couch, mulling over their last dance, the warmth they shared, and Claude’s kiss on his cheek. The air was cold, yet Claude’s lips were so warm, so soft, so tender against his skin. How would it be to touch them with his own? Would it be as warm? He touched his own lips at the thought. His were so chapped. Maybe Claude wouldn’t like kissing such chapped lips. Should he buy a lip balm? Even if he did, he didn’t know how to kiss to begin with. He wasn’t even sure Claude wanted it. Was it all a wishful delusion of his? 

He rolled on his couch and buried his face in the nearest pillow to put a stop to his thoughts. It didn't work. His mind replayed the whole evening again and again, every detail crystal clear. He remembered their talk. About princesses and knights. About his eye and the accident. Did he regret telling him? Dimitri didn't like talking about the accident, he never quite recovered from it. He still dreamed of that day, him and his parents laughing peacefully as they were going on holidays, then the car suddenly flipped and everything was dark and cold. He doesn't know how long he stayed in the car together with the remaining of his parents until he finally passed out, only to wake up in horrible pain in a hospital. The mere thought of it made him want to throw up.

But when Claude put his hand on his, squeezing it ever so lightly to show him he was _there_ , Dimitri felt he could trust him with himself. He felt he could let himself remember. And what he saw in Claude's eyes after telling him was neither pity nor awkwardness. It was a quiet acknowledgement, meaning _I accept this part of you as well_. Just that. It was enough. 

It seemed the pillow wasn't enough to make him stop thinking about Claude, and probably nothing would. His mind, full of fluffy brown hair and emerald eyes, melted into the softness of his pillow. He saw the both of them, walking together around town, stopping in front of a shop window and laughing because of the cute glass animals displayed in it. Then they would continue their walk in a park, casually holding hands as if it was the most natural thing in the world. As if they were meant to be. Claude was the light shining through the darkness of his heart. Dimitri was at the bottom of a very, very deep well, and the new light twinkling above him felt like a beacon of hope. He saw himself reaching for it, and Claude reaching for him in return. But instead of climbing up, he saw the darkness around him wrap around Claude, and bring him down, and down, until he reached Dimitri’s level. Until his light was gone, crushed by the well he was now trapped in. With him. Because of him. 

Dimitri jerked up from his sleep, heaving and sweaty from his nightmare. No. He couldn’t let that happen. How stupid of him to even think it was possible. 

\---

On Monday, Claude went to Seiros. Seeing how his relationship with Dimitri was progressing, he was admittedly a little more enthusiastic to see him again. Would he be blushing even more than usual? Or would he suddenly grow more confident now that they're closer? 

Claude was looking forward to seeing his reaction, when he realized that Dimitri was late. It wasn't like him, really. Maybe something happened at work, and he would arrive soon. But he didn't. He looked at his phone, but there was no message. Were it anyone else, Claude might have thought that he was subtly dumped, or avoided. But knowing Dimitri and his straightforwardness, worry started to settle in his heart. Did something happen? 

They were meeting almost everyday for some time now, and when they didn't they would send a message to tell the other they couldn't make it. Maybe Dimitri broke his phone, being quite clumsy. The thought made Claude chuckle to himself. He was completely smitten, it seemed. That possibility eased his worries for the time being, and he went back to his place after working a bit on his translation while enjoying a nice cup of coffee. But Dimitri didn't answer nor see any of his messages that night, and after a few more days without any news, Claude started to worry that yes, something might have happened. 

But what could he do, really? He didn't know any of his friends to ask about him, nor where he lived. He knew where he worked, maybe he could go there. 

Yet, a part of him was starting to consider the possibility of getting dumped. Well, they would have to be together to get dumped, which wasn't exactly the case, but they were on the right path to be. If so, suddenly popping at his workplace might be quite awkward. He debated with himself while sipping his coffee, looking at where Dimitri sat the first time he came and their eyes met. How he got flustered by a mere wink. How under that scary look, his smile was the purest thing he'd ever seen. 

He missed him. 

It hadn't even been that long, but he missed him. This was not the time to hesitate. Come what may. He got his things, paid his daily coffee and took out his phone to check where the high school was on Emblem Maps. He barely clicked on the colorful application when his phone started ringing, showing a number that wasn't registered in his contacts. Who would call right after lunch break? 

"Yes?" he answered. 

"Are you Claude?" 

He didn't know the voice, but it was a man. An over-friendly and quite smooth man. 

"And who might you be?" 

"Oh, I forgot my good manners. I'm Sylvain." 

\---

On Monday, Dimitri went to work as usual. Had a few classes in the morning, and then he would go to Seiros for his lunch break. But his train of thought hadn't stopped since then, and frankly speaking, he didn't remember much of what happened in class as he was switched to automatic mode. 

However, he _did_ remember the thoughts haunting him. After wondering what their relationship was, he indulged himself in imagining how it would be to date Claude. The sole thought of it made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It was like a dream. He could hold Claude's hand without needing any reason to, spend time with him, kiss him, wake up next to him... Disturbing Claude's sleep with his nightmare, putting his burdens on him, let him see the worst parts of him. Dragging him down into the well of darkness. Dimitri shivered at the thought. No, he couldn't have that. And if they grew closer, he knew that was bound to happen. His nightmares weren't going to stop, his scars won't disappear, and his past will still haunt him. He couldn't let it get to someone else. He couldn't let it drag Claude down to where he was. He wouldn't forgive himself. 

And so that day, for the first time in a while, he didn't go to Seiros. Neither the next day, and the next, and the next. He couldn't. 

Spiraling in his own thoughts, Dimitri looked gloomier by the day. 

He may have stopped going to Seiros, but he didn't stop his activities altogether. He still went to work, carefully avoiding walking near the coffee shop, and he still met with his few close friends. That day, he was meeting with Sylvain again, as well as Mercedes who tagged along. Contrary to Sylvain, she worked at the same place as Dimitri, as the school’s nurse. When Dimitri was busy getting their drinks, Sylvain quickly turned to Mercedes.

“How long has he been looking like this?”

She sighed, “About a week, and it’s worsening by the day… I tried to ask him about it, but he wouldn’t tell.”

Sylvain frowned as he looked down at the napkin before him. He then directed his attention back to Mercedes, with a smile bordering smugness. 

"I think I know what the problem is." 

Mercedes didn't have the time to ask what as Dimitri was already coming back to their table, but the answer to her unasked question didn't wait long to come. When Dimitri put the drinks on the table and sat down, Sylvain rested his chin on his hand and leaned towards his childhood friend. 

"You never told me how that date went."

The same instant Mercedes said "oh dear" behind her hand, Dimitri loudly kicked Sylvain's leg under the table. But the harm had already been done. He sipped the cream on top of his drink to find the words. 

"It… It went well." 

Both Sylvain and Mercedes seemed to be expected more, but the rest never came. 

"C'mon, you can't let us hang on like that! We need details!" 

"Dimitri, you don't have to tell us if you don't want to. Nevertheless, I am very interested in what kind of person caught your interest." said Mercedes in her usual motherly voice, though she couldn't stop the little stars of curiosity from sparkling in her eyes. Dimitri could never resist her anyway. So he didn't. 

"He is… truly handsome. Interesting, and very fun to be with. And also… He's always full of surprises." The last part was said through unconsciously curled up lips full of fondness, yet with a tinge of regret. 

"So I take it you're together now?!" said Sylvain as if his own child was finally marrying. 

"No, we…" Dimitri's voice trailed off as he stared down at the drink in his hands. "We're not."

"Why, you don't like him?" asked Sylvain. 

"No I do!" Dimitri snapped out of his drink, but his eye went back down as he continued. "It's just… I don't think this is a good idea."

Worry crossed Mercedes' face. "What makes you think so?" 

"I'm probably just not made for this" he scoffed "and he's too good for me anyway."

Sylvain and Mercedes exchanged a worried look. Pushing it didn't seem like a good idea so they dropped the topic and switched the conversation into a more enjoyable subject. After they finished and said their goodbyes, Sylvain followed Mercedes instead of heading to his place. 

"I may have an idea, but I will need your help. I know it's not _exactly_ morally right, but could you find a number in Dimitri's phone? I promise it's for a good cause." 

\---

When Dimitri received a call from Sylvain telling him to meet with him at the park near Garreg Mach, he didn't consider it was actually a scheme concocted by his childhood friend. So he waited, sitting on one of the swings. 

But instead of the red hair he was expecting, he was met with brown locks, shining under the golden radiance of the setting sun. Their eyes met, and both dread and warmth filled his heart at the same time. Emerald eyes widened at him. 

“Dimitri?!”

The surprise seemed to be mutual. 

“Claude…? Why are you here?” Dimitri said, already standing up from the swing. He was considering dashing to flee in the back of his mind, but seeing Claude after more than a week of avoidance made him root to the spot. The man truly was mesmerizing. 

“Your friend Sylvain called me here, saying he had something to tell me,” he hesitated a bit, “about you.”

Oh. Sylvain. That's what it was about. The exasperation, as well as the slight amusement he felt realising his childhood friend's scheme, removed some tension from his shoulder, and he let out a long sigh. 

"He told me to come here, too. He got us." 

Claude laughed and suddenly Dimitri was overwhelmed with the butterflies he felt within his heart whenever he was thinking about Claude, wondering how he could have lived without this feeling for more than a week. How he could have avoided the beautiful sound of his laugh and the green sparkles of his eyes. But then it came back. This was not something he deserved, this was not meant to be soiled by his ghosts. 

He noticed that as his thoughts sank downward into darker places, Claude's laugh had disappeared. He looked up to him, only to meet worried eyes.

"But I'm grateful," Claude started. He made a few steps, until they were both standing at hand's reach. "I was worried." 

"I…" Dimitri looked down, not really knowing what he should say. After a few seconds of silence, Claude's lips turned into a soft smile. 

"Let's sit, okay?"

Dimitri nodded. There weren't a lot of places to sit since it was more a square than a park, and the only benches were a little far so they went for the swings right behind Dimitri. The chains creaked under their weight, too heavy for the swings' original purpose. Claude broke the silence again. 

"Tell me if I'm wrong, but are you avoiding me?" 

There it came, and Dimitri winced at the directness of the question. But as much as he wanted to hide in a hole, he didn’t want to lie. 

“…Yes”. 

“Haha, you’re honest aren’t you.”

Claude’s laugh was rueful but Dimitri could sense a tinge of true amusement at his sincerity. He continued: 

“You know, if you want, we can stop this… whatever there is between us.”

“No-”, Dimitri started, vividly hit by the contradiction in his heart. He didn’t want to hurt Claude, yes, but the idea of never seeing him again wasn’t any more bearable. How laughable, he couldn’t even do what was best for Claude. Claude, who was like a beacon of gold in his colorless life, and who he would be thanking by pulling him down. As he was spiraling in his thoughts again, after a moment of silence, Claude spoke again, slowly, as if he was considering each of his words.

“So, I take it that you’re not tired of me or anything like that.”

“No.” Dimitri said immediately, in one breath. 

“Then, was I right to worry?” 

Dimitri looked up only to see Claude meeting his gaze, his face mirroring that gauging expression he had on their first date. 

“No, I…” he started answering, but realised he didn’t know how to continue. He didn't want Claude to know. But if he was going to end it, Dimitri felt he owed him that much. So when he spoke again, his words were more certain.

"You shouldn't be with me."

"Why?" Claude asked, a little surprised. 

"I’m not… good at this. I worry I would only be a weight to you" _I don't deserve you, I shouldn’t be allowed this,_ he thought. 

For a few seconds, maybe a minute, there was a silence, and Dimitri thought for a moment that this was enough to end it, what they had. Claude looked thoughtful, as if wondering if he should speak or not. His next words were carefully weighted. 

"What would you do if I told you that I like you." 

These were not the words he was expecting. Claude liked him? Surely he was dreaming. Or- Claude didn't let him finish his thoughts. As he stood up from the swing, he continued. 

"That I'm enjoying the time I spend with you?" 

Dimitri was now looking at Claude, not being able to tear his gaze away, following his movements as he slowly crossed the few steps separating him from Dimitri. He finally stopped right in front of him, and leaned over a bit, putting his hands on his knees, his face on the same level as Dimitri’s. 

"What would you do if I do this" and Claude moved his face forward oh so slightly, just enough for his lips to graze Dimitri's. 

A sudden burst of warmth erupted in Dimitri's heart, quickly reaching every other part of his body. He felt like he had just eaten happiness. Just from this. But it stopped too quickly, leaving his lips cold and lonely. He wanted to feel it again, like a vital need. And so he remembered the question. _What would you do?_

Dimitri’s answer was more instinctive than rational. He followed Claude’s leaving lips, as if he was pulled by its magnetic force, chasing the warmth and the tenderness of it. Their lips collided again, softly yet passionately, and he felt Claude leaning in the kiss. He fleetingly remembered his thoughts from days ago, about how their lips would feel against each other, and it was more, so much more than anything he could have imagined on his own. He never wanted this warmth to leave his body, his mind. All his worries suddenly felt so far away, silenced by the loud pounding of his heart. 

But then it stopped. After a few seconds, Claude pulled away, and Dimitri chased that tenderness again, but Claude was too far away. A sudden fear coursed through his mind. Had he done something wrong? But seeing Claude’s lightly flushed face (or was it just the sunset?) and the way his forest eyes were so intensely only focused on him quickly made those worries fly away. Dimitri couldn’t tear his gaze away from Claude’s mouth, the way it was slightly parted, and how it turned into a smile. 

“Maybe we should take this somewhere more private.”

Maybe they should.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me such a long time to post this chapter! It's partially because I was very busy and partially because I wasn't happy with it. Hopefully I'll write faster from now on ~
> 
> Thank you very much for your support!!
> 
> P.S.: the rating will change from the next chapter.


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